REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--3 … 2 … 1 … GO! Whether playing with family members in the living room,
fellow students in the dorm, coworkers in an office or even online with
friends around the world, there is nothing that elicits the same fun,
camaraderie and healthy competition like a rousing round of Mario Kart.
The Mario Kart series is one of the most recognizable and loved
video game series of all time. Tomorrow, Mario
Kart 8 will race into stores nationwide and the Nintendo eShop
on Wii
U, bringing with it anti-gravity racing that finds players speeding
upside down and along walls using karts and motorbikes, a variety of
single- and multiplayer features and stunning high-definition graphics
that make every detail pop off the screen.

“Ever since the launch of the original Super Mario Kart game on
the Super NES more than 20 years ago, the words ‘Mario Kart’ have come
to represent the gold standard for unpredictable and competitive racing
fun,” said Scott Moffitt, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president
of Sales & Marketing. “Mario Kart 8 is an experience only
available on Wii U, and the anti-gravity racing makes it unlike anything
the series has seen before.”

Mario Kart 8 introduces anti-gravity racing, allowing for some of
the most creative and mind-blowing track design the series has ever
seen. When players drive over a blue anti-gravity strip, the tires on
their vehicles will turn sideways and emit a blue glow. When this
happens, drivers can defy the laws of gravity by racing upside down,
along walls and even up waterfalls. While in this mode, players can bump
into each other to get a Spin Boost. This anti-gravity Spin Boost
fundamentally redefines the way players compete and makes anti-gravity
racing even more exhilarating.

Up to 12 players can race or battle online, as long as everyone has the
game and a broadband Internet connection. Players also can create public
or private tournaments for which they specify the day of the week, the
time and the rules. Per tradition, players will be able to race against
ghost data from friends or even the top 10 worldwide racers. With the
new Mario Kart TV feature, players can even watch their highlight reels,
rewind them, play them in slow motion or post them to Miiverse (a
Nintendo Network ID is required). Players with Google accounts can also
upload their reels directly to their YouTube channels to show off their
slick racing moves.

Mention the Red Shell, Banana Peel or blue Spiny Shell items, and any
fan will be able to instantly tell you what each one does in the Mario
Kart series – they are that recognizable. All of these classic items
return in Mario Kart 8, but are also joined by four new
creations: The long-range Boomerang can be thrown up to three times,
returning to its owner after each toss. The Piranha Plant attaches to
the front of the player’s vehicle and not only provides a speed boost
with every lunge, but also bites other drivers or items that come too
close. The Crazy Eight gifts eight orbiting items to a lucky driver to
be used one by one. And last but certainly not least is the Super Horn.
This item sends nearby drivers flying with a powerful sound wave, but
also can blow away any incoming items like the dreaded and powerful blue
Spiny Shell. That’s right: The blue Spiny Shell has finally met its
match.

Mario Kart 8 will be available in stores and in the Nintendo
eShop on Wii U on May 30 at a suggested retail price of $59.99. Also on
May 30, a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Set Wii U bundle hits retail
stores, giving people who don’t yet own a Wii U system a very appealing
and affordable way to hop into the driver’s seat. The bundle includes a
32 GB Wii U Deluxe Set system and GamePad controller, a Mario Kart 8
game disc, a Mario Wii Wheel accessory and Mario Wii Remote Plus
controller, all at a suggested retail price of just $329.99. People who
register the physical or digital version of Mario Kart 8 with Club
Nintendo before July 31 will receive a free Nintendo eShop download
code for an additional Wii U game at no cost. They can choose from one
of these well-received Wii U games as part of the promotion: New
Super Mario Bros. U, Pikmin
3, The
Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD or Wii
Party U. Visit http://club2.nintendo.com/mario-kart8-promo
for more information.

Mario Kart 8 is now available for pre-order
at major retailers throughout North America. A deposit may be required
for pre-orders. See individual retailers for details. For more
information about the game, visit http://mariokart8.nintendo.com/.

Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage
the content their children can access. For more information about this
and other features, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of
interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan,
manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™
and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and
Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when
it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has
sold more than 4.2 billion video games and more than 670 million
hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U,
Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™,
Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi
XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo
GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons
that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™,
Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and
Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America
Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s
operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about
Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

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